British surfer Andrew Cotton breaks his back tackling big-wave spot Nazare in Portugal

Courageous big wave surfer Andrew Cotton remarkably wants to get back in the water as soon as possible after the Briton suffered a fractured back following a massive wipe out.

Cotton decided to tackle the famed big-wave spot Nazare in Portugal and things could’ve been a lot worse if it wasn’t for quick thinking lifeguards and fellow surfers who rushed to his aid.

The British surfer’s spine was stabilized in a speedy fashion and he was rushed to hospital almost immediately.

Cotton can be seen getting lost amongst the huge swirling waves and once it breaks he realises he’s not going to make it around the section and literally jumps for his life before he’s eaten up by the whitewater.

Cotton was apparently filming a documentary at the time and said he was lucky to survive.

“Basically, if you go right and end up towards the headland it’s harder for skis to come and get you,” Cotton said.

“If there is a set of waves following you can get washed in towards the cliff, which is really bad news. The lefts are usually longer, and in this wind, more hollow. I suppose I made the split-second decision to go left based on those factors. I knew I was deep, but that’s part of the fun of surfing Nazaré. You want to get deep to experience the wave properly.”

The English surfer expressed gratitude to those who came to his rescue saying it was their quick thinking that saved his life.

“Thank you to all the lifeguards and crew on the beach who help(ed) stabilize me and do a great spinal recovery,” he said. “I can’t name everyone but you all did your bit to get me safely to the hospital.”